Congratulations to Rob “The Shoeman” Krantzberg and his amazing staff at Kiddie Kobbler St. Laurent WINNERS of the

Better Business Bureau 2013 Torch Awards for Marketplace Trust  

Retail Category

Kiddie Kobbler St. Laurent is Ottawa’s oldest Kiddie Kobbler location.  In 2013, Rob ‘The Shoeman’ and his staff are celebrating his 30th year in business!  Specializing in infant, toddler, and youth footwear, we also carry a large selection of footwear in sizes perfect for Mom and Dad!  We carry brands such as Ciciban, Stride Rite, Geox, Asics, Tsukihoshi, Reebok, Robeez, Ecco, Pediped, Nike, Tram, Bogs, Keen, Columbia, Skechers, New Balance, Sorel, Hichaud, Kamik, and much, much more!  We’ve also got dance shoes, rain gear and winter wear!

Rob ‘the Shoeman’ and his entertaining staff love fitting shoes, and its always a fun experience for your child!  We’ve got a bright colourful store with cartoon murals, lots of toys, a motorized boat.  Everyone hopes for their favorite colour from our giant bubblegum “Chew for CHEO” machine.  All the proceeds are donated to the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario.  Every visit always ends with a smile, and of course a chance to pick a toy from the Shoeman’s treasure chest.  Sorry Mom and Dad, only for the little ones!

And boy, do we ever know our shoes and how they fit!  Our staff goes through a six month training process of having their fits checked before they are allowed to fit children’s shoes on their own, and even longer before they start fitting baby shoes!  We want to make sure your child gets the perfect fit for the size and shape of their foot, and that you get the most out of your money!  Customer satisfaction is our priority!

Also, when you shop in store, you receive a “Shoe Club Card” which is absolutely free!  Unlike some rewards cards, our Shoeclub card never expires.  Every time you purchase a pair of shoes, we enter the date, size, and price on your card.  After 12 pairs, the average price on your card is a FREE cash discount towards a 13th pair of footwear!

For those of you who live in the Ottawa – Gatineau area we would love for you to come visit us at Kiddie Kobbler St. Laurent … not just a store, it’s an experience!

More about Rob ‘The Shoeman’

The ‘art and sole’ of fitting shoes in Ottawa
Sheryl Bennett-Wilson – Capital Parent Magazine, 2011

‘The Shoeman’ – mention that name to a room full of parents and you can pretty much guarantee that more than a handful will know exactly who you are talking about.  For over 28 years, Rob ‘The Shoeman’ Krantzberg has fitted literally thousands, if not tens of thousands of kids for shoes at his Kiddie Kobbler store on St. Laurent Blvd.  Many of his customers bring their children into the store because ‘The Shoeman’ fitted them for their first pair of shoes.  Rob actually has employees working for him that he fitted for shoes when they were kids.  You have to admit, for kids to remember the guy who puts the first pair of shoes on their feet is pretty amazing.  But then Rob, ‘The Shoeman’ is one pretty amazing guy.

Rob’s first day in the shoe business was also almost his last.  Rob liked working with kids and liked being helpful, so he applied for a job at a Montreal Kiddie Kobbler.  He says he was the youngest person on staff, by decades.  The manager gave him a quick tour, briefly explained the procedures and when the first customer walked in the door, turned to Rob and said, “She’s yours.”  Rob says he was terrified.  The customer needed first shoes for her baby.  He nervously tried to measure the baby’s feet.  He got in closer to the wriggling baby.  The baby then projectile vomited all over him.  One of the seasoned salesmen stepped in and the manager told Rob to take a break.  After Rob had cleaned himself off, the manager put him back on the sales floor and told him, “You get the next customer.”  The next customer was a woman with another baby.  Rob says he was still nervous from his earlier experience but took a deep breath and measured the baby’s feet.  He zipped to the stock room and got the requested shoes.  As he sat back down to put the shoe on the baby’s foot, he quickly ran his hand around the inside of the shoe.  When he pulled his hand out, he was bleeding, profusely.  he excused himself and went back to see the manager.  The manager was shocked.  “What did you do?” Rob explained that he had run his hand around the inside of theshoe to make sure there were no bumpy seams or protrusions that could hurt the baby’s feet.  What he’d encountered was a finishing nail.  It had seriously slashed the tip of his finger.  When the manager told him, “Nobody ever checks the inside of kids shoes,” and then “Kid, you’re going to do okay in this business,” Rob had an ‘aha’ moment.  He was going to be the shoesalesman who would check the inside of shoes, who would go that extra mile for the customer.  Rob ‘The Shoeman’ Krantzberg – albeit a bit bloody and smelly – was born.